


When Opposites Collide

by Misaki_0415



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Although four ships were included the main route is levyaku, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, College, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Haikyuu-freeform, Kissing, Lev being an oblivious idiot, Lev please take a hint Yaku is trying so hard I feel bad for Yaku, LevYaku-Freeform, Living Together, M/M, Tsunderes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26136430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misaki_0415/pseuds/Misaki_0415
Summary: Yaku got off from class in college when he got a message from Lev saying that he'd be attending the same college as Yaku. It was mere coincidence that Yaku needed a housemate, and Lev needed a place to live. After living under the same roof for some time, Yaku started to develop feelings (honestly he already had them in high school but he never realized it himself lol) for this ridiculously tall kōhai who was once his volleyball teammate. But being the tsundere (though he'll never admit) he is, he finds it hard to straight up confess to Lev (He did get to tell him in the end so please stay with me till the end iwi).(And here we have Yaku trying so hard to tell Lev he had feelings for him but Lev was an oblivious idiot.)
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 26
Kudos: 144





	1. Chained together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TofuRamen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TofuRamen/gifts).



> (I thought it would make things easier if I included this here since Yaku has a lot of nicknames for Lev which might be a bit confusing throughout the story so I'll just write the nicknames here (with reference): Skyscraper, Tin-headed Titan and Behemoth)  
> Although levyaku seemed like a less popular ship (compared to ships like kagehina, daisuga, tsukkiyama, bokuaka etc), I still found it adorable and fun to write.  
> I hope whoever is reading this will enjoy it ;u; I did spent a lot of time plotting everything out in detail, and it will mean a lot to me if you stayed with me until the end of this story ;u;  
> And again, thank you for clicking in, accidental or not, I still hope you would find them adorable despite not being your favourite ship (if it is your favourite ship I would have the utmost honour of writing a fanfic starring them and have you stumble upon this) (grovels) THANK YOU AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT iwi  
> (Update: There's a continuation of this!! (and a side story) Feel free to check it out! The continuation is called 'Opposites from Afar' and the side story is called 'Mine')  
> (Thank you all for the support!! I love you all so much uwuwuwuwu <3)

\----------------------------------------------

A soft gust of wind brushed past Yaku’s face lightly as he rubs his eyes and let out a tired yawn. He had just gotten off from class, and was extremely relieved that he was done for the day. A shade of blush danced midair, and fluttered as they glided down, resting in Yaku’s outstretched palm. It was the season of cherry blossoms, and Yaku enjoyed watching the blooming of cherry blossoms, and the graceful movements they made as they twirled and danced with the wind. As if departing, the petals which were lying peacefully in Yaku’s palm started to stir, and soon they danced lightly into the wind again.

_Beep beep!_

Yaku checked his phone. It was a message from.... Skyscraper.

“... What could Lev possibly want now?” Yaku sighed and clicked on the message.

_Yaku san~ I got admitted to the college you’re attending!!! (≧▽≦) -Lev_

Something flickered in Yaku’s eyes. Little did he knew, this would soon have a great impact on his life...

_Well, sucks for me to have you as my_ _kōhai. AGAIN!!! ( >皿<) -Yaku _

Yaku pressed ‘send’ and huffed. He wondered if what he said was too harsh, but then again, it’s not as if he’ll ever apologize to someone for that. Nope. He has his own pride, and sometimes, his pride gets the best of him.

“Yaku? Are you okay?” Someone was peering at Yaku’s face with worry.

“Akira? I’m fine, why?” Akira was the person who’d sit with him in class and was also his housemate, so he was pretty familiar with him.

“Yaku... You had this really wide grin on your face just now... I almost had a heart attack!” Akira nudged him playfully. “Did you get a text from your crush or something?”

He was smiling? No, it was impossible. He would _never_ smile at anything Lev did to him, because Lev was such an airhead! He wanted to kick Akira out of habit, but he soon came to his senses, knowing well that only Lev would ever take his attacks and still smile to him after the attacks. Plus, he and Akira were housemates, so it would be a bad idea to provoke someone living under the same roof as him. You never know what they could do to your food, or even prank you in your sleep...

Yaku shuddered. He shook those thoughts away as he walked home with Akira. He looked at Akira. He was grateful for Akira to be his housemate, as the rent was too much for one person to handle, and he couldn’t possibly find any suitable places to live in a short period of time if Akira had not offered to be his housemate when they first met. Yaku plopped on the bed when he got home and sprawled his notes all over the bed. He scooted to the window, and started revising his notes, enjoying the company of a huge cherry blossom tree right outside the window.

...

“Yaku san!! Yaku saaaan!!!”

Today was the school entrance ceremony, and it was Yaku’s duty to bring the freshmen around the campus and do some sort of... ‘bonding’, or so they call it. Yaku was reluctant, for he was sure to receive comments about his height, which was his ultimate taboo, but it’s not as if he could just yell at them for that. Last year, some freshman even mistook him for a younger brother of a student and talked to him as if he was a child. He was extremely insecure about his height, and he feared that _he’d_ look like a freshman in place of the real freshmen, with everyone hovering above him.

“Yaku saaaaaan!!!”

Yaku closed his eyes and ignored the voice he knew so well.

“YAKU SENPAAAAI!!!!”

_Badump._

What was that? He swore he heard the sound of his heartbeat beat loudly for a slight second, and it made him so confused. What was wrong with him? Was he, too, the type to get flustered when called ‘senpai’? 

Lev looked at Yaku, who was standing by the school gates and obviously ignoring him, with excitement. He didn’t understand why Yaku would ignore him—everyone could see the pale shade of blush forming across Yaku's face. Was Yaku embarrassed perhaps? Maybe Yaku didn’t feel the same, but Lev was happy—no, scratch that. He was elated to see Yaku, as if a child receiving a present on Christmas, his eyes shimmered with glee. Now, it was hard to simply ignore the blinding aura Lev gave off, and Yaku finally gave in. Looking at Lev, he mouthed “Come here.”

“Yaku saaaaan!! I missed you—ACK!” Lev rushed over and held his arms out for a hug, but instead received a swift kick from behind.

“Don’t just go rushing around hugging people! Stupid stupid!” Yaku huffed. Lev pouted. Yaku took a good look at Lev. Just how tall is this guy? Lev stood out so much in a crowd, he reminded Yaku of a coconut tree in the middle of nowhere. Lev, with the usual smile on his face, seemed like he wanted to kneel down to look at Yaku’s face, but Yaku took no mercy as he sent a blow to Lev’s kneecaps.

“Yaku san! Don’t just go rushing around kicking people—!” Lev said with a laugh as he dodged Yaku’s next attack.

“Baka baka baaaka! I’ll never kick anyone except for you, behemoth!” Yaku snarled at him. “Now off you go! Or you’ll be late for the ceremony!” Yaku gave him a slight push and shooed him off to ceremony. Lev turned back and gave Yaku one more of his angelic grin, before heading towards the hall. Yaku huffed again. He’s huffed so many times today he had lost count, and he was sure it was all because of the ridiculously tall skyscraper. Yaku shook his head. He needed to get Lev out of his mind. After all, they were merely school acquaintances now, and nothing more.

...

“Yaku? I’m afraid I have some bad news for you...” Akira scratched his head sheepishly as he approached Yaku after the ceremony.

“Akira? What is it?” Yaku had a sinking feeling in his chest. It wouldn’t happen to have something to do with the girl he saw in Akira’s album, the one hugging him, right? But what Akira said next proved Yaku’s fear to be correct.

“Well... I’m moving in with my girlfriend later this evening, so I’ll have to pack my bags now. You might have to find a new housemate... I’m so so so so sorry Yaku!!!” Akira bowed down in apology. Yaku reassured him that it was fine, and even forced a smile to look more convincing. After congratulating him for his move in with the one he loves, Yaku started walking down the street, kicking small pebbles along the way, venting his frustration. Yaku felt lightheaded. How is he going to find a housemate in such a short period of time? It was almost time to pay the rent too...

_Thud!_

“Ow! Watch where you’re going—” Yaku rubbed his forehead slightly, only to be greeted with a tall figure. If he hadn’t known, he would have definitely thought he’d bumped into a tree. But no, it was Lev, looking down in the dumps. Yaku wanted to yell at him, but thought better of it. In times like this, Lev would usually make a cheeky comment, something like “Oops! Sorry, didn’t see you there!” and end up receiving a blow from behind. However, Lev was unusually quiet, and the energy from his eyes was nowhere to be seen.

“What’s wrong, Lev?” Yaku asked in a concerning tone. Lev’s eyes slightly widened. Was Yaku actually worried about him? He perked up a little, but his current circumstances were burdening enough to bring him down in the dumps again.

“...I...I forgot to apply for the dorms....And I can’t find anywhere to live; it was either too expensive, or too small, or occupied...” Lev said quietly. He felt like a homeless person. He had promised his family to be independent when he left for college, so he couldn’t possibly ask his sister or family for help now. What would they think of him if he wasn’t even able to survive the first day of college?

Yaku looked at him with widened eyes. Was this what they call...fate? Yaku shook his head. No, no, no. It was called coincidence. Yes, that’s it! Coincidence! Yaku thanked the gods for Lev’s forgetfulness before clearing his throat.

“Well...You’re in luck. My housemate just told me he’d be moving out later this evening, I suppose I could use a new housemate—” Yaku turned his head away with slightly puffed cheeks and said slowly, but was interrupted by a sudden sensation of zero-gravity.

“YAKU SAN YOU’RE A LIFESAVER!!!” Lev picked him up and pulled him into an embrace before letting him down on the ground again. Everything happened so fast that Yaku was still unable to process what had happened when he was suddenly picked up once again from the ground, only this time to be thrown over Lev’s shoulder.

“Hey!!! Let me down!!!!" Yaku struggled and flailed his arms.

“Okay, which way?”

“Are you an idiot? Let me down first!!!” Yaku clawed at him, but realizing Lev had no intention of letting him down, he sighed. Loudly. “Keep walking along the street until you see a house with a huge cherry blossom tree on the side...” He gave in and gave Lev directions to his house. Lev started walking, and Yaku was surprised at the speed Lev was walking despite knowing that Lev was just walking at his normal pace.

_Damn you ridiculously tall skyscraper..._

Yaku silently mourned for his height, not noticing the slight anticipation blossoming in his heart... 

\----------------------------------------------


	2. Closer? Or further?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After two weeks of living together, something happened that made both of them realize something.... that something was changing.... but was it for the better? Or the worse?

\----------------------------------------------

_Bang!_

Having heard the loud noise, Yaku rushed to check what has happened when he saw Lev, rubbing his slightly bruised forehead.

“...” Yaku sighed. He knew where this was going.

“Yaku san!! I banged my head on the transom again...” Lev pouted as he tried to soothe the pain on his forehead.

“How many times has it been this week?! You’ve only moved in for two weeks, and I’ve already lost count of how many times you’ve banged your stupid forehead!” Yaku grumbled while dragging him to the sofa, forcing him to sit down while he disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared with an ice pack in hand. Yaku sat down on the sofa and forced Lev’s head on his lap. Lev didn’t oppose, as he remembered clearly the first time when Yaku treated the bruise on his forehead: Lev unconsciously slouched, so Yaku could hold the ice pack to his forehead without being too tired from constantly keeping his arm up. However, Yaku fumed as he said Lev was mocking him about his height. And now, Lev was resting his head on Yaku’s lap; Yaku didn’t have to maintain a tiring posture, Lev was the one looking upwards now and Yaku wasn’t angry. Seemed like a win-win situation to Lev, so he went along with it.

“Geez... stupid Lev...”

“I can’t help it if the transoms aren’t high enough—OW OW OW OW OW OW OW!!!” Lev howled in pain as Yaku increased the pressure of the ice pack on his bruise.

“What. Did. You. Say?” Yaku had a frightening smile on his face. Lev, although being the taller one, was greatly intimidated. Yaku was extremely scary when mad, and Lev had known him long enough to have that fact _carved_ in his mind.

“N-Nothing! Geez...Were you trying to kill m—OW OW OW STOP THAT YAKU SAN!!!”

...

Lev pouted and sulked in his room. Although he was used to Yaku’s aggressiveness at times, it doesn’t change the fact it hurts a lot sometimes. He could take on Yaku’s punches and kicks with ease, because it felt like a kitten punching him. Yaku’s usual attacks did almost no damage to him, but this time it hurt. A _lot_. 

“Stupid Yaku san.....” Lev whimpered in a low voice, making sure Yaku wouldn’t hear it.

Yaku stood by the kitchen counter and wondered if he had overdone it. He sighed. Why was he even concerned about that behemoth anyways? To hell with him and his weird genes. It’s not like it was Yaku's fault for not being tall enough anyways. But he couldn’t get his mind off what happened just now, and he certainly couldn’t erase that unsettling guilt bubbling in his heart. Yaku let out a big sigh as he rolled his sleeves up. 

...

“.....Skyscraper!”

“....” Lev pulled the covers over his head. After a few seconds, he heard a loud _bang!_ across the room. Yaku stomped up to the bed and pulled the covers away from Lev.

“...What do you want...” Lev mumbled.

“...I made you curry. My favourite kind. Take it as an apology.”

Lev looked at Yaku with astonishment. Yaku? Apologizing? Those two terms don’t seem to get along very well especially when it comes to Lev. Yaku noticed Lev’s surprise and huffed. “Take it or leave it, stupid!” Yaku yelled as he turned to leave the room, but Lev grabbed him by the shoulder and his eyes were shimmering.

“I’ll take it!!”

...

A sweet aroma of curry filled Lev with delight as he eagerly ate a spoonful of the bowl of lukewarm cuisine. A complex affair of both savoury and sweet spices melted in his mouth, and the unique flavour of a combination of ingredients exploded, blending and merging perfectly. The taste in his mouth along with the ambrosial scent that lingered on his sense of smell brought tears to his eyes. But it was only a matter of time before the spiciness hit him. A burning sensation crept up his tongue and soon flooded his whole mouth, torturing his tastebuds. The unbearable spiciness made his tongue tingled and went numb. It reminded Lev of ardent flames, and he felt like his mouth was burning up in flames too. After 3 seconds of swallowing it, he immediately reprimanded himself for his stupidity quietly. It was as if he had just swallowed a chunk of burning iron, piercing his throat, leaving scars and marks as it slid down and made way to his stomach. A sharp, wrenching, explosive stab, if he could describe the unbearable pain he was in. Just how spicy can this get? Tears formed and sprung out of Lev’s eyes as he let a cry of agony slip out. 

“Too.....spicy..........” Lev could barely get the words out his mouth as he whispered in a hoarse voice.

“???? Geez stupid Lev! Always overreacting!” Before he knew it, these words had already came out from his mouth. Yaku clamped his hand over his mouth and turned his back to Lev. Though knowing that he shouldn’t have said that, he still couldn’t bring himself to apologize, and instead, stomped back to his room. Lev looked at the small angry figure as he stomped away, then his gaze fell back onto the bowl of curry—which almost seemed malicious to him now. He inhaled (immediately regretting it) as the air acted as if it was ethanol applied to a wound, bringing him more pain mercilessly. Lev used both hands to clamp on his mouth to muffle his cries, as he gave himself a little cheer and miraculously, was able to finish the whole bowl without passing out. He grabbed a nearby stack of post-it notes and wrote ‘I was jokinggg Yaku san~ :p’ on it and left it on the table, careful to not let the tears drop on the paper which would leave tear marks. He continued to clamp on his mouth on the way back to his room, careful to not let any cries slip out while he slipped into his room, frantically searching for some sweets to relieve the pain but in vain.

While cooling down in his room, Yaku thought about it, and decided to stop being a coward and apologize to Lev. After all, it slipped his mind that not everyone could handle the spiciness Yaku desperately loved. When he went back out to the living room, he found the empty bowl along with the note on the table. But he could tell that Lev wasn’t faking it when his face twisted in pain. Yet, he still forced himself to finish it—for Yaku’s pride. Yaku felt a pang of guilt and pain as he crept to Lev’s room, and hearing Lev’s muffled cries and his attempts to speak but in vain made his heart felt like it was being shredded to pieces. He headed towards the kitchen and gave the ‘Extra Spicy!!!’ bottle of sauce one last look before throwing it away. He then poured a glass of cold milk, left it outside Lev’s door and knocked a few times before retreating to his own room. Lev saw the glass of milk and gulped it readily, with a distant look in his eyes as he gazed in the direction of Yaku’s room.

\----------------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If everything goes well, I should be updating chapter by chapter every 1/2 day (s) (the most would be uploading more than one chapters per day but with a large chance of no new updates the next day)(since the chapters aren't really that long but sometimes the research takes longer than usual (for example here I was desperately racking my brain for ideas on how to describe and emphasize on how spicy the curry was (equivalent to how much pain Lev felt but still endured it for Yaku) but since I'm really bad with spicy food (and extremely aware of that so I never had the guts to try something spicy (even if I did I'd make sure it was a portion small enough for the pain to be relieved with milk or sweets) ) I spent a tad too much time trying to make it sound relatable (from searching up curry and its ingredients to reading reviews on people who ate spicy food and died mentally(rip) to get a vague idea what it felt like) but I'll try my best >.<  
> Once again, thank you for continuing on reading 'When Opposites Collide" :D  
> You have no idea how much your support means to me QWQ (bows in gratitude)


	3. Hidden realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit by bit, they saw a new side of each other... Who will realize their feelings first?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Heads up! There's a Russian dialogue (with the translation) but since I'm not Russian I can't guarantee that the translation is 100% correct) (grovels)

\----------------------------------------------

It had been weeks since the ‘curry incident’, and Lev never saw Yaku eating curry ever again. At least, not with him. And tonight, was just like any other night...alone. Lev looked at the glistening moonlight as he muttered something he had heard from Yaku before.

“Твой свет, в котором родился мой дух; ты мое солнце, моя луна и все мои звезды (Your light, in which my spirit was born; you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars).” Despite being half-Russian, Lev felt ironic as he couldn’t really speak Russian; whereas Yaku, who was a 10/10 pure Japanese, could speak Russian. 

Yaku was still not home despite the chiming of the clock, signalling 10pm. Lev sighed. He was extremely tired, and he had to sleep before he passes out in the living room. He yawned and entered his room—or so he thought. He was too tired to even bother to turn on the lights, and just walked straight to the bed, with the guidance of the moonlight. The room seemed....different. But Lev was too tired to give it a second thought and simply threw himself on the bed.

“Huh...Weird...The bed seemed to be unusually small today...Perhaps I grew taller.......” Lev mumbled to himself before he dozed off.

_Click._ It was already ten thirty at night, and Yaku was sure Lev had gone to bed already. He knew Lev had been busy lately and wouldn’t be able to get past ten. In order for Lev to fully concentrate, Yaku had moved his studying and revision out to a nearby coffee shop, and only returned home at a time he was sure that Lev would be asleep. Fatigue weighed on his shoulders, as he took a quick shower, brushed his teeth and headed straight for bed.

Without even needing to turn on the lights, he could see an abnormally tall figure dozing off in his bed in the dim moonlight. He didn’t even need one single second to know that it was Lev, who mistakenly slept in Yaku’s bed instead of his own. 

Had it been months before today, Yaku would have either went out to the living room and slept on the couch or yelled at him and dragged him out of bed; and had it been weeks before today, he would have simply went to Lev’s room, trying to ignore the fact that Lev’s bed was way bigger due to height difference and making him self conscious about his height, and slept in Lev’s bed. But today was today, and those three options didn’t seem likable to Yaku today. Lev was snoozing peacefully with dark circles under his eyes, and Yaku felt a sudden urge—the sudden urge to snuggle into bed with Lev.

_What are you thinking, Yaku? Snap out of it!_

Yaku’s body thought so otherwise. Quietly, he tiptoed across the room , being extra careful to not wake Lev up, and gently, he slipped himself into Lev’s arms. He looked up to the tall figure, breathing steadily, and watched as the silvery grey tousled hair shifted with his breathing. His usual neatly parted hair was nowhere close to neat now, and his eyes were still slanted as usual. Yaku realized how beautiful Lev’s features were now that he has seen it upclose for the first time: the achromatic colour of his hair, the cheeky grin resembling a Cheshire cat in daytime, now seemingly melancholy while fast asleep and his luminous emerald eyes that shimmered so much light he was sure to be a cause of blindness...was nowhere to be seen now. Yet, it was _imprinted_ on Yaku’s mind. 

It reminded him of the grassy field—nature. Alluring wasn’t enough to describe it—he always found himself lost in those eyes lately, and it was hard to describe the fluttery feeling he'd get every time he saw Lev. It was as if his heart become more...soft. But this feeling only lasted while Lev was around. Lev was an idiot sometimes, but he found that side of him adorable at times. Yaku sucked in the sweet night air. There was a sweet, rosy scent that lingered around Lev—probably his shampoo.

_How can someone be so wildly sexy—and in his slumbering form as well?_ Yaku gasped and quickly covered his mouth. Did he really just think of that? But he was too mesmerized to give it a second thought. Lev’s hair glinted in the moonlight, and a few petals slipped in the gap the slightly opened window has left, and danced their way to his face. Yaku reached out a hand, and with trembling fingertips, he brushed the petals away lightly, brushing Lev’s face in the process. Silky, soft and smooth. _How is this man, a total idiot, so beautiful?_ Unable to conclude anything, Yaku slowly drifted off to sleep, with his mind occupied with Lev and Lev only.

...

The vivid sunlight shined through the window, falling upon Lev’s face. He felt the warmth cupping his cheeks, and a soft breeze crept in through the gap, softly brushing his cheeks. This felt familiar, as if someone had done the same thing to him last night when he was asleep. He opened his eyes sleepily, and as his hazy vision began to focus, a small figure lying comfortably in his arms came to sight. The drowsiness he felt immediately left him as his eyes flung wide open. Soft, silky pale chestnut hair; without a doubt, it was his small demonic senpai. His furrowed brow, was now relaxed, and his hair was a bit messy from his slumber. Now that Lev has gotten a closer look at Yaku, he started to see resemblance of...a lion cub? No, no. A...sleeping kitten? No, not that either. It was more like...

_An angel._

Innocent, pure...he couldn’t think of anything else to describe Yaku’s sleeping face, but he was _adorable_. Why couldn’t he show more of these faces while he was awake? Lev didn’t understand why Yaku always looked like he was angry and on the verge of erupting into flames. If only Yaku always looked so soft as he did now...

Putting thoughts aside, an electric jolt shot up Lev’s arm, rudely interrupting his thoughts. It was then he realized that Yaku had been sleeping on his arm all this time, and as the time ticked away, his arm began to throb with pain. It felt numb and sore, but he didn’t have the heart to move his arm in fear Yaku would wake up to the slightest movements. Trying to ignore the slight cramping in his arm, he shut his eyes, allowing himself to fall back into a deep slumber...

\----------------------------------------------

“You WHAT?!” 

Yaku yelled at Kuroo, who was on the other side of the call. 

“Geez, Yakkun. Shut it. My ears are ringing.” Kuroo grumbled.

Yaku couldn’t believe it. They had known each other for _years_ , and Kuroo couldn’t even remember his _birthday_ ? What was he, a goldfish? Yaku fumed with anger and frustration. Out of everything he had forgotten, it just _had_ to be his birthday. And to put the icing on top of the cake, Kuroo didn’t just forget that today was his birthday, but his response seriously ticked him off. When Yaku asked what day was today, Kuroo replied without hesitation, “World Cat Day.” and that was all he remembered. 

“Uh... Happy birthday, I guess. I’m hanging up. My kitten is waiting for me.” Kuroo hung up without even saying goodbye, leaving Yaku’s scowling features reflecting on the black screen. Yaku sighed as his shoulders drooped in disappointment. The street lamps flickered as Yaku trudged back home. He felt empty and almost felt like crying. No one remembered his birthday. No one. His old teammates disappointed him the most. They had played in so many matches together, yet they couldn't even bother to remember his birthday? As he arrived at the doorstep, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down before entering.

“Yaku san~ Happy birthdaaaay!!!!” Lev yelled in a chirpy voice. There was a huge box with a ribbon on top in his arms, and there were confetti and balloons all over the living room, and a huge banner hung from the ceiling with large words ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY YAKU SAN’. Tears fell from Yaku’s eyes but he was quick enough to wipe it away. 

“Yaku san, open it!” Lev gestured for Yaku to pull on the large ribbon.

“It better not be growth supplements...” Yaku muttered under his breath. As he pulled the ribbon, the box fell apart, revealing a....

“Cat?” Yaku stared at the ball of fluff sleeping peacefully.

“Yes! Yaku san, you like cats right? I saw this little guy on the way home, and simply thought he was adorable!!!” Lev beamed at him, nuzzling his face with the cat’s while the cat let out a soft purr. “What should we name him, Yaku san?”

“I’m pretty bad at names... Can you do the naming?”

“Well, I can definitely see that....just by taking the names you gave me as reference...”

“Hey!”

Silence dawned upon them, and there were only sounds of the cat meowing from time to time.

“How about we name him... Yoku?” Lev quipped up.

“Yoku? Why?”

“You have the meaning _Yoru_ (night) in your name right? So Yoku is just a combination of Yoru and Yaku.”

“But...Why did you name the cat after me?”

“.....Whenever I called Yoku cute, he would snarl at me, and it reminded me of you getting angry whenever I call you short or cute.” Lev smiled cheekily. “Right, cutesy?” Lev turned to face the cat.

“MREEEEOW!!!” Yoku, obviously displeased, snarled as he held out his paw and showed his claws to Lev.

“..........”

“See? 150% resemblance—”

“STUPID LEV STUPID LEV BAKA BAKA BAAAAAKA!” Yaku yelled at Lev and huffed. As if in agreement, Yoku meowed loudly as well, “MEOW MEOW MIAO!”

“It’s like having two Yaku sans telling me off at the same time....What have I ever done to deserve this??” Lev pouted as he let Yoku down to the ground, who immediately walked off to explore his new house with a swish of his tail.

“Stupid skyscraper... I thought you forgot my birthday.....” Tears were streaming down Yaku’s face again, and this time he turned his head away in a huff, not even bothering to wipe the tears. Lev knelt and before Yaku could say anything, he was wrapped in a tight embrace, with strong arms, abnormally long too, which could only belong to Lev. 

“Hey...Are you mocking me? That I’m not tall enough for you to hug me while standing?” Yaku gave him a gentle nudged while sulking. Lev looked surprised for a split second, then stifled a laugh.

“No, Yaku san. However, if you really want me to hug you while standing, then...” Lev stood up and pulled Yaku in for another tight embrace.

Yaku’s face was buried in Lev’s chest, and he could hear Lev’s heartbeat loud and clear. Time seemed to move slower than usual, and Yaku could hear the sound of his heartbeat. _Badump. Badump. Badump._ Lev's cologne enveloped him, and in an instant he could feel the heat spreading across his cheeks. He can't... He just couldn't. He had a soft spot for Lev and it was an obvious fact to him now. Every single negativity slipped away from his soul, as if it had never existed in the first place. Worries, stress, insecurities, disappointment and sadness, it all disappeared without a trace the moment he was encased in Lev's embrace. He held onto him, digging his nails gently into Lev's clothes, afraid that he'd lose his grip and he'd be all alone again had Lev let him go. Lev’s fingers ran through his hair, stroking it, as if Yaku was a child who just threw a tantrum. But Yaku felt....strangely at ease. He hated the thought of someone touching his head, let alone someone actually doing it. It made him feel overpowered and small. But Lev....was different. His large hands combed through his hair, parting split ends. It was embarrassing to say this, but at some point Yaku wished Lev would just keep on stroking his hair, and they'd stay in each other's arms forever.

The sound of his heartbeat was soothing, almost as if lulling him to sleep, and when Lev let go of him, everything, including the terrible feelings, returned to him immediately, as if someone left the Pandora's box open and all the bad things just scattered all around and crawled over him in attempt to swallow him up. It was as if he was pulled into quicksand, his insecurities threatening to swallow him up, and he had to suppress himself from holding out his arms asking for another hug. He clamped his hand over his mouth, not wanting Lev to see how he almost mouthed the words "Hug me again". Lev had already turned to the kitchen and came out with all of Yaku's favourite dishes, bringing an uncontrollable grin to Yaku's face. The realization hit Yaku hard, and it circled around his mind throughout the whole time he ate his birthday dinner with Lev.

_He had fallen hard for the tin-headed titan._

\----------------------------------------------


	4. Out to seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaku needed help desperately and went to the former Karasuno setter who was also the 'mom' of the team back then ;)  
> (Yessssss HERE COMES SUGAWARA Y'ALL UwU)  
> Sugawara then told him about how he and Daichi got together for Yaku to use as a preference  
> Yaku tried out Suga's suggestion, hoping that everything would work out...

\----------------------------------------------

Yaku paced around his room. Yesterday was his birthday, and the warmth of the touch of Lev's fingertips lingered on his hair. With hesitation, he reached out and ruffled his own hair as the replay of bittersweet memories from yesterday flashed in his mind. Sweetness embraced him as he recalled Lev’s touch, but bitterness was quick enough to make him snap out of it as he told himself that it probably meant nothing to Lev. He quickly pulled his hand away and blushed in embarrassment. Thank goodness Lev wasn't here. But what to do with this unsettling feeling? This feeling wasn't going away soon, and he had to do something about it. That's when a certain person popped in his mind. He took out his phone and opened his contact list. His fingertips hovered above the screen before pressing some buttons and dialed a number. 

"Yaku?" A calm, composed yet cheerful voice answered the phone.

...

"Thanks for having me." Yaku nodded politely to the slender figure who welcomed him at the door. 

"Anytime! Why the sudden visit?" Sugawara flashed him one of his angelic smile while gesturing him to sit down on the couch. There were two cups of tea on the table near the couch. Sugawara must have prepared it when he knew Yaku was coming over. _Thoughtful,_ Yaku thought. Yaku looked around Sugawara's house. It was filled with pictures of him and Daichi, hanging on the wall, and other than that, it looked like an ordinary, neat, everyday house, with a hint of Sugawara's own taste of deco, arrangements of furniture and assortments of scarves. 

"I...I was unsure about—I mean, uhhh.... I was—"

"Yaku, are you having trouble with sorting out your own feelings?" 

Yaku stopped talking. Sugawara had always been perceptive, and this time was no exception; he was right, he did have trouble with that. He gave a little nod as Sugawara gave out a little chuckle, followed up with a sigh. 

"It's alright, I used to have those issues when I first realized my feelings for Daichi. Let me guess: number 11 from your team back in the days when you were still in Nekoma?" Sugawara flashed him his usual gentle smile. Yaku looked at him in surprise. Was it that obvious?

“U-uh, actually, Sugawara, I’m still confused. I-I, this was this first time I’ve ever felt this way, and I’m not really sure what to do.” Yaku hung his head and said in a quiet voice. Sugawara looked at him with slight sympathy. He knew Yaku was lost, and probably felt really helpless. _Yaku had always thought that he liked girls, especially ones with short hair, but then one day, he just found himself falling for Lev. He must be really confused. Poor guy..._ Sugawara thought to himself before letting out a small sigh. 

“Now now, Yaku. It’s alright, I’m here to help. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few questions to confirm something first.” Sugawara reached out his hand to rub Yaku’s back to comfort him, but pulled back his hand when he realized Yaku slightly flinched at Sugawara's intended gesture. Yaku shot Sugawara an apologetic look, who gave him a reassuring smile. Yaku nodded, and Sugawara asked his first question.

“Can you, perhaps, slightly describe what actions he did that gave you a fluttery feeling?” Sugawara asked and watched as Yaku nodded slightly, no sooner were his eyes taken over by a hint of joy.

“Well, ahhh, there are a lot of things to start off with. Once, I couldn’t reach for the cookie jar on the top of the shelf—I didn’t even make any intentions of getting it, but as if he had telepathy, he glanced at me and simply carried me over to the shelf and held me high so I could reach the cookie jar.” Yaku’s eyes shimmered as he recalled moments of how he and Lev were in sync. He took a breath and continued. “But there were also times when he simply wasn’t doing anything—not doing anything special, to be precise. His slumbering form, when he was eating, reading, writing his papers, or just walking. It sounds stupid, but my eyes followed him wherever he went, and I was so mesmerized I’d forget how to breathe sometimes .” 

Sugawara chuckled. Yaku blushed a bright red, before clearing his throat and continued to speak. “There was another time I felt like I was... _possessed_ . I didn’t know _what the hell_ came over me.” For a second, Sugawara swore he saw a sign of lovesick flickering in Yaku’s eyes, but it was quick enough to disappear when he realized Sugawara was looking at him. Yaku then went on and described the night he had slipped into Lev’s arms and was mesmerized and taken aback by his beautiful features.

“And yesterday.....was my birthday...” Yaku said with a hint of sadness in his tone. Sugawara gasped and his hand flew to his mouth. 

“Oh no.... Yaku, I’m so so so sorry!! Happy belated birthday...” Sugawara said frantically. Yaku shook his head. He told Sugawara that he was really disappointed that none of his old teammates remembered, not even Kuroo, but he was so touched when he arrived home to Lev’s birthday surprise for him. “And... he hugged me.” Yaku said sheepishly. Sugawara stayed silent, but you could practically see the nonexistent _uwu_ s exploding around Sugawara. Yaku went on describing what the hug felt like to him, and how relaxed and reassured he felt in Lev’s arms. But at the same time, he felt confused and lost, as if trying to find his way out a thick fog but in vain. Sugawara listened quietly, and after ensuring Yaku was finished with talking, he thought and chose his words carefully.

“Yaku, listen. This is only my opinion, and you should only take it as a reference. I am not you, and I cannot force ideas onto you either.” Sugawara said with a slightly stern face, his gentle smile vanishing without a trace. Yaku knew Sugawara was serious, so he too, listened attentively. 

“From what I’ve heard from you, you do have feelings for Lev. It would have been hard to deduce had you two been the opposite sex, but if you have this feeling towards the same sex, I’d say you have feelings for him.” Sugawara said gently. To his surprise, Yaku accepted this more readily than he thought he would have. “My advice would for you to be straightforward with your feelings—” This time, Yaku sprung up, and Sugawara jumped slightly, surprised. Yaku blushed and sat down again, and explained why he had that reaction.

“To be honest...”Yaku shuffled nervously. “I’m not really the type to have the courage to just say ‘I love you’ to someone’s face...” Sugawara blinked a few times before breaking out into laughter. He had never seen this side of Yaku, and was also sure he’d only ever see this side of Yaku when it came to Lev.

“Should I tell you how I confessed to Daichi? Perhaps you could use it as a reference for planning your confession.” Sugawara suggested, and after receiving a small nod from Yaku, he continued. “We were both third years back then, and one day the realization dawned upon me that if I don’t confess to him soon, I’ll probably never get the chance ever again.” Sugawara seemed nostalgic, as he continued recalling the day that’d change his life...

**** _That day was still imprinted on my mind. Good weather, and we didn’t have volleyball practice that day. I called Daichi to see if he wanted to come over and watch a movie, and he readily agreed. Before he came, I started to prepare a surprise for him: homemade cookies._

“It took me a lot of courage to invite him over, but that’d be an easy task for you since you’re living together with him.” Sugawara chuckled, as he once again set foot into his hall of memories.

_So I baked him cookies. Honestly, I was so so so scared. There were three things I was scared of: 1, He’d suddenly tell me_ _he had something to do and wouldn’t be able to make it. However, he arrived at my doorstep thirty minutes later, so that was one worry off the list. 2, He’d tell me that he already had his full and would refuse my cookies politely. Nonetheless, when I told him I was baking him cookies, he looked really excited and said to me, “I can’t wait to try your cookies, Suga!” That leaves one last worry on the list, and it was the one I feared the most..._

_3, He’d reject me. I wasn’t sure if he liked me the way I liked him, but I couldn’t chicken out; it was important to me. I’ll give it a shot, it’s all or nothing! I told myself. Soon, I brought the cookies to him with a plate, but this plate was no ordinary plate._

Yaku tilted his head in confusion, and Sugawara stopped to sip his lukewarm tea before continuing.

_You see, there were carvings of the words ‘I love you’ at the bottom of the plate, which the cookies had covered up perfectly. Daichi didn’t notice anything at first, but after two or three cookies, he noticed the carvings, and he picked up the remaining cookies in his hand as he read the carvings._

_“I...love....you.....” I whispered in a barely audible voice. My heart was beating at an insane speed, and I almost thought I was having a heart attack. I saw as Daichi’s eyes slowly widened, and I thought to myself: I messed up. “It’s...okay...if you....don’t...feel...the same....Daichi...” Tears started to fall as I said with a trembling voice. However, his eyes soon glinted with joy as he came over to my side and gently wiped my tears away and kissed my forehead lightly._

_“What a coincidence. I feel the same way too.” He said softly as he looked into my eyes._

“And that’s how we ended up together.” Sugawara grinned as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “The moment I knew he felt the same way, my heart almost physically burst with joy.”

Yaku looked at Sugawara. His eyes were shimmering with happiness, and he had never seen such gentleness on one’s face. Yaku bit his lip. If only he could be as brave as Sugawara...

“Yaku, you do know people often say that we have similar personalities because we were both the caretakers in our team, right? Bluntly said, the ‘mom’ type. So it wouldn’t be suspicious at all if you brought Lev cookies as well; but make sure to bring it to him at a time he looked like he needed a snack or a break. That would make it look more convincing, because I’m sure you’re not the type to suddenly bake goodies for someone without a valid reason.” Sugawara winked at him, and Yaku smiled a little.

“Thank you, Sugawara. I will definitely try it out.” Yaku felt a little bit more hopeful now that he had talked to Sugawara. Sugawara looked as if he had suddenly remembered something, as he slipped inside the kitchen and soon came back out with a plate in his hand.

“Sugawara—”

“Don’t worry, this isn’t the one I used. But it so happened that it came in a set, so I had an extra. We don’t use it anyways, you could have it if you want.”

“Sugawara, surely I can’t—” Yaku was flustered and wanted to turn down his kind gesture, but Sugawara thrust the plate and after ensuring the plate was in Yaku's hand, he immediately pulled back his hands so Yaku couldn't return it, and flashed him another one of his angelic smiles.

“Please. I insist.”

“Babe, I’m home—” Daichi’s voice rang out from the doorstep. He stopped for a slight second when he saw Yaku, but broke into a grin soon. “Yaku? It’s been a while. What brought you here?”

“We just caught up a little bit. It’s been ages last time I saw him. We’re friends after all, right, Yaku?” Sugawara skipped over to Daichi and took his bag for him as he turned his head and flashed Yaku a smile. Sugawara knew Yaku would be embarrassed if more people knew about his crush on Lev so he decided to hide the real reason why Yaku came over, and Yaku was aware of that. Yaku nodded, and bowed politely and with a brief goodbye ‘Thanks for having me.’, he left their house and went back.

“Yaku san? You’re back!” Lev looked up from the pile of papers he was extremely focused on. They had been living together for months now, and Lev still got excited whenever Yaku came home.

“Another assignment?” Yaku asked as he draped his coat over a nearby chair and knelt down, ruffling Yoku’s fluffy coat of fur, who came to greet him. Lev nodded. _Perfect timing,_ Yaku thought. _I’ll do it today._ Yaku headed towards the kitchen and closed the door, ensuring the fragrance of cookies during baking wouldn’t lure Lev to come over and check what’s going on.

...

Lev yawned. He was so engrossed in writing his paper, he didn’t notice that it was pitch black already. Suddenly, a whiff of baked goodies hit him. He watched as Yaku came out of the kitchen with a plate of cookies in hand.

“Lev.” Yaku called his name. Lev barely heard Yaku call his name when he wasn’t angry, so he was a little bit taken aback. “Have some cookies...” Yaku mumbled. Lev started to reach out his hand, but soon pulled back.

“Yaku san, could you set it aside? I still need to finish my paper—” Lev said but stopped as he watched Yaku huffed and puffed his cheeks.

“Forget about it! Hmph!” Yaku turned away in a huff, only to be grabbed by those long, slender fingers he missed so much.

“Wait! Yaku san made it for me, meaning it's really special, so I want to eat it!” Lev whined. Yaku actually wanted to give it to him, but he was suddenly taken over by a huge waves of embarrassment. Frantically, he shook Lev’s hand on him off and spat out, “Stupid Lev! I’ll pack them up in a container so it won’t get soggy. You can save some for tomorrow if you can’t finish them.” Yaku just desperately wanted to get out of there before Lev noticed his flushed cheeks. However, Lev hugged him from behind. Yaku’s eyes flung wide open as he struggled to escape his grasp. 

“St-stupid Lev! Let me go! The cookies will get soggy!” Yaku slipped out of Lev’s arms and rushed back into the kitchen while Lev just stood there with a smile on his face before turning his attention back to his unfinished papers.

Yaku breathed heavily, supporting his weight on the kitchen counter before he collapsed to the ground. His heart was beating like crazy, thumping on his chest like a sledgehammer, and he pressed his hand over his mouth as a mad red blush spread across his face like plague. His eyes were wavering with uncertainty, and he was near to tears. He took a few breaths to calm his nerves down nonetheless in vain. His pulse quickened, and he gave himself a few pats on his cheeks. He was somewhat relieved Lev didn’t see him in such a state.

“That...was too close.......” Yaku whispered, as he thought back on what had happened just now. His eyes reflected lovesickness as he blushed madly. If Lev had seen him in such state, Yaku would have to be honest and confess, and he did _not_ have the courage to do that. Had he peered at Yaku’s face, or forced Yaku to face him, or had Yaku whirled to face him in surprise, he would have been exposed.

“Too....close.....” Yaku whispered over and over again as he bit his lip. He took another few steady breaths, and this time, he calmed down. He gave himself a few more seconds to fully calm down, before placing all the cookies in a container and bringing it to Lev, then headed back to the kitchen to retrieve the plate and hid the plate in a cardboard bag leaning on his bedside table.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UwU I hoped you guess enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it as well!!!


	5. Another shot?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suga's suggestion didn't work out. Yaku was walking around the park aimlessly when he bumped into Fukurodani's (BEAUTIFUL) setter, Akaashi, who was accompanied by Bokuto. Sensing Yaku's distraught, Akaashi told Yaku his story on how he confessed to Bokuto.  
> Yaku decided to give it another shot...

\----------------------------------------------

A few pale pink petals brushed his face gently. Some got tangled in his hair, but he simply brushed them away unconsciously, his mind entirely on something else. There was a soft sensation on his palm, and when he looked at it, a petal was resting in the middle of his palm. A petal from a cherry blossom tree. 

Yaku sighed. He loved cherry blossoms, but for some reason, the petal resting on his hand seemed...dull. It was as if it had lost all its colours, even the shade of pink seemed rather grey to him. He walked around aimlessly. Sugawara’s idea didn’t exactly work out, and Yaku was burdened by anxiety. His insecurities, once again, has gotten the best of him. 

He sat down on a bench, and made eye contact with a strolling pigeon. Yaku stretched out his hand. The pigeon stopped and looked at him, and as if pitying him, cocked its head and flew towards his outstretched hand, and nuzzled its feathers on Yaku’s fingertips. 

“Even you pity me, huh, little pigeon?” Yaku smiled, but it felt forced, as he nuzzled his finger on the pigeon’s beak. 

“Yaku san?” 

Yaku looked up and was greeted by a familiar, slender yet well built figure— Fukurōdani’s setter, Keiji Akaashi. 

“Akaashi? Fukurōdani’s setter, right? Why are you here?” Yaku asked as he scooted over a little bit. Akaashi took it as a gesture for him to sit down and did so. Akaashi then pointed to a figure, slightly further away from them, who was kneeling down on the ground. Yaku squinted a little bit and another familiar face came to sight.

“Bokuto?” Yaku asked. Akaashi nodded in return. Yaku looked at Bokuto again. This man, who was once Fukurōdani’s ace, was....talking to...pigeons??? Bokuto was immersed in trying to communicate with the pigeons, though even Yaku could see that the pigeons were slightly annoyed. It seemed like Bokuto has disturbed the pigeons from snacking on the breadcrumbs on the ground, but the owl was desperate to be friends with them. Yaku looked at Bokuto in disbelief. Was this really the great ace he had played against in a match before?

However, Yaku heard a soft chuckle beside him. He looked at Akaashi, who had intense affection and gentleness in his eyes, as a soft smile played on his lips. Yaku looked at him in awe. He had never seen Akaashi smile like this, and when Akaashi noticed Yaku’s stare, he covered his mouth apologetically before returning to his usual calm demeanour.

“I apologize. I tend to lose myself sometimes when it comes to Bokuto san.” Akaashi said to Yaku. 

“Are you two...?” Yaku wanted to ask if they were dating, but felt like it was a question too personal for him to ask and hesitated. However, Akaashi gave him a slight nod, confirming his suspicions. 

“So, how have things been lately? Are you still in contact with your missing puzzle piece?” 

“? Puzzle piece?” Yaku looked at him in confusion. 

“Ah, I often refer you as ‘Lev’s missing puzzle piece’ in my mind, so that just kind of slipped out. Sorry. It’s just that when I look at you two, it was as if looking at two puzzle pieces fitting together, thus completing each other.” Akaashi explained with a cheery voice. Akaashi actually wanted to try lifting the mood; the tension between them was suffocating. However, Yaku seemed to look even gloomier after his cheeky statement. Akaashi realized that something wasn’t right, and asked Yaku if something had happened between him and Lev. Yaku felt like he could trust this man of few words, and decided to tell him.

“The truth is...I —I have feelings for Lev...” Yaku whispered in embarrassment. Akaashi blinked a few times before crossing his legs and tilted his head, as if in thought. 

“Yaku san, would you like me to tell you how I confessed to Bokuto san? Perhaps it might be a bit of a help...” Akaashi checked for Yaku’s reaction, and when Yaku gave him a little nod, Akaashi began to recall that day he went out of his comfort zone just for Bokuto...

_ It was a moonlit night after a match, which we had won by a landslide. The team was having a celebration at my house despite my protests. _

“But there were so many people at that time, did you confess to him in front of the whole team?!” Yaku gaped at Akaashi’s courage, but Akaashi gave him a slight shook of the head.

_ It was after the celebration that I asked Bokuto san if he could stay behind and help me with the tidying and cleaning up. My teammates were, of course, suspicious, but I simply told them that I was much more comfortable with Bokuto san touching my things. They looked annoyed, some grumbled under their breath, but all of them had relief on their face, relieved that they weren’t the one cleaning up the mess they made, and soon they all left. _

_ Of course, my intention wasn’t really needing an extra hand. I was used to doing chores alone, and the mess they left weren’t that much of a mess, if I were to be honest. My real intention was for everyone to leave so I could be alone with Bokuto san. Of course, I had this all planned out and was just waiting for a chance, and it seems that I was in luck that the team had decided on going to my house for a celebration. I knew it was a chance that I couldn’t miss.  _

__

_ I was already finished with the set up and locked the door to my room while they were preparing for the food before we started to celebrate, so nobody suspected a thing. I grabbed a book on the table and passed it to Bokuto san, along with the key to my room, and asked if he could help me return it to my bookshelf. Bokuto san agreed, not knowing I had a surprise waiting for him. _

_ I had left a neatly folded T-shirt that had the word ‘Ace’ imprinted on it, and placed in on a cushion and left it on the floor facing the door in order for it to be the first thing Bokuto san sees when he enters my room. I also gathered a few flower petals and arranged it so that it was shaped into a heart, with the T-shirt in the middle. I quietly followed Bokuto san up to my room, and when Bokuto noticed the shirt, I went up behind him and tapped on his shoulder lightly. I took off the jacket I was wearing, revealing a matching T-shirt but the only difference was, the imprinted words were ‘The Ace’s Setter’.  _

_ Bokuto san looked extremely surprised as I told him I had feelings for him. His astonishment quickly evolved into happiness, as he wrapped me up in a tight embrace and told me that I had no idea how much today meant to him, and that he too, had feelings for me. _

Yaku looked at Akaashi, and once again, Akaashi had this gentle look in his eyes, and it was as if Bokuto was all he could see. Yaku was once again surprised by Akaashi’s wits as he looked at Akaashi with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

“AGAAASHI!!!! COME HERE AND COMMUNICATE WITH THIS PIGEON WITH ME!!! IT’S PECKING ME!! BAD PIGEON! VERY BAD—OW OW OW! STOP IT! HOOT HOOT!” Bokuto hollered. Yaku stifled a laugh as he watched the 6’2 feet man trying to wrestle with a tiny pigeon. Akaashi let out a tiny sigh, although the affection in his eyes never left him.

“I’ll be right there, Bokuto san.” Akaashi raised his voice slightly and yelled back in Bokuto’s direction before turning back to Yaku. “I hope telling you my story helped you, even if it was just a tiny bit. I’ll be rooting for you, Yaku san. Good luck.” Akaashi gave him one last nod before jogging off to Bokuto’s side. “Bokuto san, stop lecturing the poor pigeon. Let it eat the breadcrumbs in peace...”

Yaku watched as Akaashi’s figure faded into the distance, along with his voice. Yaku gave it a bit of a thought, and decided to give it a shot. On his way home, he passed by a flower shop. He went in and back out with a rose in his hand, with a tag that he had sign ‘I love you’ on it. When he got back home, he got a chair and struggled as he tried to put the rose on the top of a bookshelf.

However, just as he placed the rose ensuring its stay, Yaku had a sinking feeling as his vision began to crumble.  _ Thud!  _ Yaku landed on the floor with a loud noise.

_ Ow. _

__ It wasn’t a serious fall, nevertheless his body still trembled with pain. Lev, having heard the loud noise coming from Yaku’s room, bursted into the room, panting, and asked if Yaku was okay in a frantic voice. Yaku hid the fact that it hurt like hell—not to mention he had sprained his ankle, and plastered a smile, waving dismissively. 

“Can you help me get the book on top of the bookshelf? I can’t reach it.”

“What—oh... Pffft. Why would you put something in a place that you couldn’t reach in the first place?” Lev chuckled as he reached for the book with ease. “Here. I still have to attend a study talk later, so I’ll be going now. There’s some miso soup in the fridge, don’t forget to drink it!” Lev handed the book to Yaku before giving him a pat on his head and left his room, not noticing that Yaku had froze, looking at the door in disbelief.

_ What. The. Hell. _

__ Did he not see the rose? Was he  _ stupid _ ? Or was he  _ blind _ ?! How do you just ignore a rose sitting on top of a bookshelf?! Stupid skyscraper. Tears sprung from Yaku’s eyes once again. Despite the persisting, throbbing pain all over his body, something hurt even more. An unbearable pain, a stabbing sensation shot right through his heart.

“Stupid Lev. Stupid. Stupid. Why couldn’t you have gotten better genes for your brain instead of your height?! Stupid stupid.” Tears spilled as if it was a leakage, and as soon as Yaku heard the door lock with a click, his tears flowed even more uncontrollably. He could have just pointed out the existence of the rose; but he didn’t. It was always his insecurities, always his fears, fearing that Lev would reject him. 

He let out a soft cry of pain, as he struggled to get the rose down and hid it in the cardboard bag along with the plate. He wiped his tears and went to bed, hiding himself in the covers. He felt some sort of fabric, and with a closer look, he recognized that it was Lev’s jacket. Did he left it here while Yaku was out? Or did Yaku borrowed it and simply forgot to return it? He should take it back to Lev’s room, but he didn’t feel like doing anything. At some point, even breathing felt tiring and bothersome to him. He only wished for Lev to sit by his bedside and stroke his hair to put him at ease. Alas, he was only accompanied by his anxiety and insecurities, as he held on to Lev’s jacket with a tight grip and hugged it close to his chest, hoping that the tantalizing aroma of Lev's cologne would put him at ease as he drifted off to a dream, a dream where he wished for a happy ending that only belonged to him and Lev. 

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Hi just wanted to say YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING QWQ THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MY WORK  
> (I was (150% being honest here) motivated when I saw the support I got from y'all iwi THANK YOU SO SO MUCH iwi


	6. One more time...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our lovable tangerine, Hinata, dropped by to return the growth supplements Lev had sent him.  
> This time, Yaku gathered his courage and asked Hinata for advice.  
> Hinata told him his story, but.....it didn't seem like a plan that would work for Yaku and Lev....  
> (And a small incident once again drove Yaku insane as a bright blush spread across his cheeks...

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“Yaku san!! Please open the doorrrrr!!!!!” A bubbly, with _a lot_ of energy—one you _might_ just mistake for a girl, voice screeched from the windowsill. Yaku jumped in surprise as he gaped at the shade of bright, unruly _neon_ orange bouncing up and down. He opened the windows and saw a _tangerine_ —wait a second. Yaku blinked his eyes a few times, and saw Hinata with puffed cheeks standing right outside his window. 

“Hinata?! You could have knocked on the door, you know?” Yaku exhaled as he calmed himself down. Hinata stared at him for two seconds before realization dawned upon his face as he let out a “Ah, right!” and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. 

“What are you doing here, Hinata? What’s in that box?” Yaku peered at the large box Hinata was holding with curiosity. Hinata grunted as he placed the heavy box in Yaku’s arms. The sudden weight on his arms caused him to yelp in surprise. Yaku looked inside the box.

“...Growth supplements?” Yaku shot Hinata a questioning look.

“Please help me return this to Lev san... I DON’T NEED GROWTH SUPPLEMENTS!!!!” Yaku watched as the slightly taller figure groaned while his arms flailed, wrestling with the autumn air. Yaku stifled a laugh as his eyes sparkled in entertainment. Hinata stopped and looked at him.

“What?” 

“Yaku san! Don’t you dare laugh; he told me that he left you a box of supplements for you as well!”

“WHAT?!” Yaku scanned the living room. Suddenly, a box sitting in the corner caught his eye. He let down Hinata’s box of supplements and rushed to the box, while Hinata quietly let himself into the house. He clawed and flung the lid open, and sure enough, it was full of growth supplements.

“THAT! DARN! SKYSCRAPER!!! GRRRRNRGAAA!!!” Yaku screeched and fumed in anger. Hinata, however, was abnormally quiet. Yaku watched as Hinata moved in on him, getting closer and closer, eyeing him as if he were prey.

“W-What?” Yaku took a step back. 

“Yaku san........” Hinata lowered his voice. “Did something happen between you and Lev san?” 

“No, why?” What the hell was up with everyone being so perceptive lately? Yaku didn’t find it weird when it came to Sugawara and Akaashi, but now even Hinata? He wished Lev was a bit more perceptive though...

“Hmm...Your eyes said so otherwise.” Hinata eyed him with suspicion. “It resembled how Bakageyama used to look at me with annoyance when we first met, but I noticed a sudden change in the look of his eyes one day. He soon confessed to me. Your eyes reminded me of that feeling I got from Bakageyama, like….UWOHH! UWAAAH! FWOOH!!” Hinata started making weird noises, which Yaku recalled from when Hinata and Kageyama used to communicate about volleyball techniques.

“Chibi chaan… I won’t understand your weird ‘volleyball noises’....” Yaku cocked his head to one side. Honestly, he just wanted Hinata to stop pressing in further. The tangerine was exceptionally insightful today, and he didn’t like it. 

But Hinata didn’t fall for Yaku’s bait to explain about his weird ‘volleyball noises’. He was aware that Yaku was trying to change the topic, so Hinata simply stared at him with an intense, fixed stare. Yaku gulped. _No, no, no, please no. Please have mercy on my soul...can’t I get by one day without having that skyscraper in my head?_ Yaku pleaded silently, but his mind said so otherwise. The more he tried to escape and deny his feelings, the more frequent the memories replayed in his head. It wasn't long before a pale blush, once again, spread across Yaku's cheeks. 

"Yaku san?" Hinata peered at his face, trying to suppress the smirk on his face. 

"....I like him." Yaku whispered. Although it did take him a bit of courage and time to get those three words out of his mouth, he still got those words out. That means he was actually capable of admitting his feelings, right? Why is it that every time he's around Lev, it was as if he had lost his ability to speak? He looked at Hinata, who was literally grinning so wide his cheeks were about to break any moment now, and asked in a quiet voice. 

"Could you…perhaps tell me...how you and Kageyama got together?"

Hinata looked at him in surprise. Yaku was honestly surprised by his own acts as well, but he was beyond desperate. He needed every idea or advice he could get. With a little nod, Hinata clears his throat as his eyes sparkled at the memories he held so dear…

_June 21. It was my birthday, and I was sulking by my doorstep. The reason was no other than the box of growth supplements I had received for my birthday, and Tsukki taunted me for it._

"Now that I think of it, it was probably Lev san who sent them." Hinata slightly frowned as Yaku nodded in agreement. Nonetheless, the fact that Lev had gotten growth supplements for Hinata for his birthday but got a cat for Yaku's birthday made Yaku feel like he was somewhat special to that idiot and let out a small smile. 

_"Oi! Boke!"_

_Still sulking, I looked up. Kageyama was heading my way, and for some reason I couldn't stop my tears forming as they slid down my cheeks._

_"Eh?! Boke! Why are you crying?" Kageyama rushed over and asked in a slightly panicked voice. He knelt down and gently wiped the tears away. As if feeling the need to make the whole scene more dramatic, raindrops started falling and before we knew it, it was pouring. Kageyama didn't even hesitate before swiftly taking off his jacket and flung it over my head, sheltering me from the rain._

_"K-Kageyama—?"_

_"Shōyō."_

_That was the first time he had ever called me by that name._

_"B-Bakageyama, what are you—" I didn't get to finish my sentence; he had already pulled me in for a tight embrace._

_"S-Stop it, you're going to catch a cold…"_

_"Let me."_

_I started to protest, but he silenced me with a soft kiss on the lips. It was a funny feeling. It felt like he didn't know what to do, but at the same time I felt so much love and affection from him. His lips had a hint of milk, and that was the last thing that popped into my mind before shutting off completely. After he pulled away, silence fell upon us, and it was as if the realization of what he had done finally fell upon him._

_I watched as he blushed profusely and covered his cheeks, as he stammered, "B-Boke! S-Say something!"_

_"Bakageyama, you should have asked me out before kissing me…"_

_"I-Is that a yes?" Kageyama could barely hide his excitement as I giggled softly._

_“Of course, my blueberry~”_

_“B-Blueberry? Well, two can play at that game, my little tangerine.”_

_“Hey! I’m not little!”_

_“Doesn’t sound very convincing to me.” Kageyama chuckled. “Are you going to invite me in or what? At this state we’re both going to be soaked.” As if backing up his statement, the rain fell even harder it almost felt like it was raining stones._

_“Come in then, I’ll warm a glass of milk for you.”_

_“Boke.” Kageyama breaks into a pure smile and whispers, before kissing me on the cheek._

“Well, that’s...really sweet and all, but I can’t just kiss him out of the blue, right? We don’t exactly have that kind of bond you and Kageyama have…” Yaku said, feeling a bit awkward.

“Oh...then again, you’re right.” Hinata slouched in disappointment. Suddenly, Hinata’s phone rang, breaking the silence.

“Boke Hinata boke! What’s taking you so long to return the supplements?!” Kageyama’s irritated voice was so loud Hinata didn’t even need to put him on speaker to let Yaku hear what Kageyama was yelling about.

“Geez! I’m on my way home! Blehhh!” Hinata yelled back at the phone and hung up. “I’m sorry Yaku san...I don’t think I was much of a help...but I really have to get going now! I’ll text you if I get any ideas!” Hinata rushed out of the door. 

“Thanks….?” Yaku scratched the back of his head and sighed. He shut the door and headed towards the kitchen, trying to decide what to cook for today’s dinner.

...

“Yaku san, pass the salt please!” 

Yaku handed him the salt without even glancing his way and continued on his meal. Hinata’s story kept echoing in his mind. He looked at Lev unconsciously, who was sitting across the dining table from him, happily munching on mashed potatoes. He gazed at his features. His slanted yet tender cat-like eyes, slender build, delicate fingertips, and……his lips. Yaku bit his spoon, unable to tear his gaze away from Lev. 

_What would those lips taste like?_

“Yaku san?”

_His hair looks rather soft. What would it feel to run my fingers through his hair? Ah...I’m not tall enough..._

“Yaku san!”

Yaku jumped at Lev’s voice as Lev desperately waved his arms around, trying to get his attention.

“What is it?” 

“You’re spacing out so much lately, did something happen?” Lev peered at his face, obviously worried and concerned.

“No, I was just thinking of something...” _Stupid Lev. Whose fault do you think it is?_ Yaku slightly frowned. Lev was the reason why he has been so....abnormal lately. Yet this oblivious idiot couldn’t pick up any hints. 

“Wait, Yaku san, don’t move—”

_What?_

Lev reached out and using his thumb, he grazed Yaku’s bottom lip gently before swiftly pulling it to his mouth and licked it.

“?! EWHHH???!! BAKA BAKA STUPID LEV WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Yaku’s face immediately vibrated a bright rosy red. He could feel himself blushing to the tip of his ear as he tried to calm his heartbeat, which was surely running 100 miles per hour.

“Ehhh? There was sauce on your bottom lip—”

“Baka! I could have wiped it myself!” Yaku covered his grin with his hand, trying to look as annoyed as possible. Just what kind of sorcery is this? Yaku shut his eyes and tried to calm down, but he couldn’t. _That was wildly sexy_ — _what the hell Lev!_ He couldn’t erase it from his mind—the warmth of his fingertips lingering on his bottom lip, his reflection in Lev’s eyes, and the most embarrassing thing was that he _craved_ it. _He craved him._ What the hell was wrong with him? He couldn’t even point out Lev’s good traits—but he can write a whole book about his flaws. 

Yet, he was _overjoyed_ when Lev hugged him, _worried_ when Lev banged his head on the transom, _sad_ when Lev endured the pain for Yaku’s pride, _scared_ when Lev left him alone in their house.....and _safe_ when he slept in his arms. Lev sheltered him and made him feel...complete. Why? Nobody—he wanted nobody but _him_ . It was the most unfathomable question to him—probably even harder than explaining how everything was created from nothing. Yaku took a deep breath before raising his head to Lev’s startled gasp.

“I-I’m sorry Yaku san! I wasn’t thinking....! Please don’t hit me! Or hate me!” Lev apologized, looking a bit flustered as well.

“Stupid Lev....” Yaku mumbled under his breath. “It’s not like I can hate someone I love so dearly...” A soft breeze slipped in through the open window, drowning Yaku’s whispers in the rustling of the leaves as it quietly crept out again.

\----------------------------------------------


	7. One last shot...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time, Kuroo was the one to give advice.  
> Yaku decided to give it one last shot. (Yeah it really is the last shot ;-;)

\----------------------------------------------

[Caller ID: One-eyed rooster]

Yaku grumbled. It was 8 in the morning, yet it was still a tad bit early for him. He had been going through sleepless nights—his mind overflowing with pictures and thoughts of Lev yet again. He wanted to hurl his phone across the room, but he knew it would be a terrible decision. He let out a fatigued sigh as he answered the call.

“What do you want now, one-eyed rooster?” Yaku tried not to slur as he grimaced at his morning pitchy tone.

“Demon senpai, hostile much?” Kuroo chuckled on the other side of the phone.

“That’s what you’re saved in my contacts. Shut up.”

“You saved me as ‘one-eyed rooster’? NGRAHAHAHA YOU’RE UNBELIEVABLE—” Kuroo bursted into laughter. Yaku cringed. Why was his laugh so weird?  _ It’s too early for this. Spare me. Please.  _ Yaku tched and let our a depressing sigh. “—but seriously. Have you seen Lev?” Kuroo asked Yaku in a serious tone when the laughing died down.

“Lev? No, he left the house an hour ago for another lecture. Why?”

“Ah...Well you see, Kenma received some growth supplements and was irritated, and had been complaining about it ever since last night. I was wondering if it was Lev who sent it? Since Chibi chan told Kenma that he had received the same thing and had gone to your place to return it to Lev—” 

“Yeah it was Lev.” Yaku interrupted.

“I see.....What to do with it...? If only it could be returned to its rightful owner...”

“Either you keep it, or you drop by to return it.”

“If onLY it couLD be—”

“And no, I am not going to go to your place to pick it up. I am tired, sleepy, worn out, annoyed, grumpy—and you woke me up. Plus I’m not in a good mood. So no.”

“Geez fine. Such a demon. I’ll be there in an hour.”

“Oh, and when you’re here, there’s something I want to ask you.” Yaku didn’t want to ask him for help, but he had no choice. Go big or go home, right?

“Demanding much? Fineeee....” Kuroo grumbled before hanging up. Yaku looked at the cherry blossom outside the window. The tree was in full bloom now. Yaku imagined himself sitting under the tree with Lev as he slept in his lap, and Lev would stroke his hair lovingly and look at him with tender eyes, enveloped in the pleasant sunlight, whispering promises into the brisk autumn breeze.

He’d make him his favourite food every day, and give him a lot of cuddles. They would sit on the couch, Yaku in Lev’s arms, and watch a movie; they would sit next to each other as Yaku helped Lev with his revisions, bonking his head lightly whenever Lev made a mistake; they would spend so much time together and joke about the times when Yoku mistook his tail for a cat toy. They would do so much together— _ if only they were together _ . Yaku smiled bitterly as three loud knocks came from the door, reminding Yaku of the harsh reality and Lev’s oblivion.

“Here.” Kuroo hastily shoved the box in Yaku’s arms. “Alright, what do you want, demon senpai? Make it snappy, okay? My kitten is waiting for me at home~” Yaku watched in disgust as Kuroo swooned over Kenma—not that he was being judgemental or anything.

“Who confessed? You or Kenma?” 

“Huh? Me, of course. Do you know how hard it is to hear the words ‘I love you’ from Kenma’s lips? I can count the times he said ‘I love you’ with one hand despite after getting into a relationship with me!!” Kuroo whined. “Since when have you been so interested in my personal affairs though?”

_ Crap. _ Had it been Kenma, Yaku would have felt a wash of relief. He’d choose Kenma over Kuroo any day if he were to ask for advice. 

“Ohhhh.....I see......” Kuroo smirked with a cunning, thin smile dancing on his lips. “Our small libero has taken a liking to our towering middle blocker, eh?”

“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU CALL ME?! DID YOU JUST CALL ME SMALL??” Yaku yelled as he threw his fist at Kuroo’s stomach—yet failed to reach as Kuroo easily held him off with an arm’s distance. Irritating, irritating, irritating! 

“Now now, don’t feel so helpless just because you’re small. I’m not wrong, am I?”

Yaku stopped snarling at him. 

“Ohohoho...I’ll do you a favour and tell you how I confessed to Kenma for you to use as a reference. After all, I’ve always been a nice person.” Yaku choked on Kuroo’s praise to himself. Kuroo continued, ignoring Yaku’s (judgemental) stares.

_ 28 missed calls. It was from Kenma, and I desperately wanted to answer the calls, but I was afraid even the slightest hint of excitement in my voice would give myself away. I was preparing a surprise for Kenma and I didn’t want him to have any suspicions. I barely texted him.  _

_ However, Kuroo avoiding him just looked even more suspicious to Kenma. _

_ “Kuroo...didn’t pick up again. He didn’t text me either. Why?” Kenma mumbled to himself. Something fishy was going on, and he had to get to the bottom of this. One day after school, he silently followed Kuroo and slowly a pie shop came to sight. Since when did Kuroo even started liking pies? It still wasn’t a reason for him to not nag on Kenma daily; usually he would have spammed him with at least 30 messages about the weather becoming a bit chilly, but it has dropped 6 whole degrees, yet Kuroo didn’t even send one single message. Kenma waited for Kuroo to enter the shop as he waited a bit to follow him in. _

_ “Thanks, old man! I’ll keep you updated—KENMA?!” Kuroo looked back to the counter and yelled cheerily at a baker, only turning his head back to the front to see Kenma standing in front of him, perplexed. _

_ “?? What? Did I die or something? You’re acting like you’ve just seen a ghost.” Kenma rolled his eyes at him. “What are you doing here? You weren’t picking up my calls, and you weren’t texting me, why?” _

_ Kuroo mumbled something Kenma couldn’t make out. “What? Louder. I can’t hear...” Kenma grumbled, but even when Kuroo raised his voice, it sounded like gibberish to Kenma. _

_ “shouldidoitnowmaybenotmaybeyesbutthisseemslikeagoodtimingwhynotbutwhatifimessup—(Should I do it now? Maybe not...maybe yes? But this seems like a good timing, why not? But what if I mess up—)” Kuroo stammered nervously. He was a nervous wreck and even he himself didn’t know what he was spluttering.  _

_ “Wh-what?????” Kenma had never felt this confused.  _

_ ... _

_ Ugh, frickity frack it. HERE GOES NOTHING! _

_ I prepared for the worse as I took a deep breath and gazed straight into Kenma’s golden eyes. I stole a glance at the box in my hands. I bowed and held out the box which had a big ribbon sitting on top and yelled with all my courage, “KENMA I LIKE YOU PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!!!!!” And as I peeked at his face, I’ll never forget his face when he tugged on the ribbon. _

_ When he tugged on the ribbon and let the sides of the box fall to the ground, a heart shaped pie was revealed. A luscious and fragrant whiff of apple instantly flooded the shop. Kenma’s eyes widened, and his eyes glistened. A card sat on top of the pie, and Kuroo’s messy handwriting made out the words ‘Be My Kitten’.  _

_ I blushed like crazy, and when I finally had the courage to look at Kenma directly, I saw that he was also blushing a bright shade of vivid cerise. The tip of his ears were also scarlet red.  _

_ “Damnit, Kuroo. How can I say no to an apple pie? Especially when you were the one who made it...” Kenma shuffled in embarrassment and kept his head down. His bangs fell out of place and covered his eyes, as if hiding his wavering eyes. _

_ “So....is that a yes....?” I asked with caution. I was happy that he said that, but I wanted a direct answer. Kenma was silent, and I thought to myself: dang it. I shouldn’t have done that. He probably feels uncomfortable now _ —

_ “.......Miao.” _

_ I froze. Did-did Kenma just.....meowed? My face  _ **_burned_ ** _. He was so adorable my weak heart couldn’t take it anymore, as I sank and knelt on the ground with shaky legs.  _

_ “Now, young man. Don’t you propose just yet!” The baker, who was also my mentor for the past few weeks, patted on my back lightly with a joking tone. “He had no experience in baking at all, but you should have seen the determination in his eyes! I took up the challenge to teach him how to bake a pie from scratch, and he spent hours every day practicing and polishing his movements. ‘If I’m going to make it, I’ll make the best one for him!’ was what he said. Devoted, ain’t he? You’re a lucky fellow; I give you both my most sincere blessings.” The old man smiled warmly as he told Kenma, giving him an explanation why I wasn’t answering his calls or texting him. I had no time to do so anyways, so I decided to just keep quiet about the other reason for my recent behaviors.  _

_ We then thanked the baker as we went home and feasted on the apple pie I made for him, signalling the start of our romance. _

__ “So? What do you think?” Kuroo asked Yaku eagerly.

“Seems pretty valid to me, I guess. All you did was make his favourite food and added a card on it, right?” Yaku looked at Kuroo, the doubt in his eyes gone without a trace. Perhaps this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

“Yep! And Lev’s favourite food is—”

“Oinarisan.”

Kuroo looked at him in surprise. But then again, why was he surprised? Yaku had feelings for Lev after all, it only made sense that Yaku knew beforehand and had remembered it.

“I guess you could be helpful sometimes....” Yaku mumbled.

“Of course. After all, I’ve always been this kind—”

_ Bang!  _ Yaku had already shoved him out the door and slammed it shut.  _ This will be the last time, one last shot. _ Yaku looked at his hands, which were slightly trembling from fear.  _ If I mess up this time...... _

_ It’s game over for me. _

__ ...

Yaku placed the tiny cards on top of the oinarisan with a heart in the front and the initials ‘ily’ for ‘I love you’ at the back, just in time for Lev to get back from his lecture.

__ “Yaku san!!!! What’s that in your hands?” Lev eyes the plate of oinarisan in Yaku’s hands with ravenous eyes.

“Dig in.” Yaku set the plate on the table and gestured to him to sit down.

“Really?!” Lev sat down happily, but then stopped to stare at the plate.

“.....It’s not poisoned. I swear.”

“Oh no, it’s just that it looks really delicious! Are you sure I can eat it?” Lev grinned at him happily.

_ Please notice the cards. Please. _

__ “Yeah, whatever. Just dig in.” Yaku prayed with all his might.

_ Notice the damn cards, you idiot. _

_ Please— _

__ Lev set the cards aside, thinking it was just decorations, and dug in happily. Yaku’s heart sank. Over. Everything crumbled down as he plastered a fake smile on his face. His limbs went numb. It hurts. Everything hurts. It hurts to breathe. Suffocating, asphyxiated—they weren’t enough to describe the pain he was in. His head throbbed, his heart throbbed, everything throbbed; he clenched his fists and went back to his room, while tears silently fell down.

Enough. He can’t take it anymore. Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be. He never had the right timing to confess, and nothing ever went his way.  _ Why did I ever hold on with anticipation, thinking that it was meant to be? Silly me. I’m the idiot here.  _ Yaku thought as hot tears streamed down his face. He turned his head and glanced at Lev. “Staying by his side, living under the same roof...”

_ It was more than I could have ever asked for. _

...

It was 4am, but Yaku couldn’t sleep. He crouched in the corner of his room, hidden in the shadows and avoided the moonlight, letting his sorrows devour him slowly. He reached out his hand weakly, only to draw back his hand to hold his head, as he screamed silently in pain.

\----------------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The next chapter will bring an official end to the story!! Thank you for staying with me till the end, I will do my best to not disappoint you in the next chapter (which is also the chapter I (personally) liked the best when I planned out the plot and everything)


	8. Sincere as can be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINAL CHAPTER (oh my weak heart ;u;) (there's a small surprise at the end note so please don't go away just yet!

\----------------------------------------------

“Yaku san? Open the door! Please! You haven’t eaten anything for the whole day!” A series of frantic knocking came from the door accompanied by Lev’s perturbed voice.

“I’m fine. I’ll come out to eat after I finish writing my report.” Yaku replied. The knocking stopped, and the tears flowed out once again. He had holed himself up in his room ever since last night. He wasn’t planning to eat anything—he just didn’t feel like it. He had already taken a shower and brushed his teeth and Lev, who had just done so must have noticed the wet toothbrush—but whatever. He was still crouching in the corner, hugging his knees. His attempts never worked—why? He knew that there was another reason other than Lev’s oblivion.

His stupid insecurities. 

He was sure that had it been Sugawara, Akaashi, Kageyama or Kuroo, they would have just admitted their feelings for their loved ones even if their plan failed somehow. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud—and he felt pathetic. Cowardly, useless. 

He thought back on all the times he tried to tell Lev about his feelings for him. What if he had simply told him even after going astray from the plan? 

_‘Eat the darn cookies, there’s a message for you.’_ Yeah, he could have just said that, and Lev would have been curious enough to eat the cookies and see Yaku’s message for him.

_‘Can you not see the rose up there?’_ That would have been enough to point out the existence of the rose already, wouldn’t it?

_‘The cards, dummy. Are you just going to ignore it?’_ Lev obviously saw the cards, and that would have brought his attention to the cards he’d set aside so nonchalantly. 

Those lines were simply an indirect confession; he could have said it. He could, and _should_ have—but he didn’t. Maybe things would be different if he had the courage to tell Lev when he tried to confess but it wasn’t going exactly as planned.

“Ugh....why....? Why does it have to be....you.....that makes my heart beat like crazy.....?” Yaku couldn’t stop the tears sliding down his cheeks as they fell on the floor. He punched the wall with his fist, the pain not even bothering him. He let a heartbreaking cry of anguish slip out before covering his mouth with two hands, trying to muffle the cries.

“Yaku san....you’re going to hate me for this but—” Lev’s voice came in from outside shakily. _Whaam!_ The ill-fated door fell to the ground as it received a blow from Lev. Yaku looked at him with astonishment, forgetting to hide his teary eyes.

“I’ll pay to fix the door later—Yaku san! Y-You’re...crying?”

_Crap._

“Yaku san? What’s wrong?” Lev headed towards Yaku, and his movements looked slurred and unusually slow to him.

_No. Don’t come near me. Go away._

But Yaku simply froze with tears still streaming down his face. Lev knelt and reached out to hug him, and what Yaku did next shocked both of them. 

Yaku started to scream as if uncontrollably writhing in pain, and with forced movements his arms flailed and clawed nothing but air. He screeched as the tears fell harder, and he started to throw a fit. His fists made steady _thud!_ s on Lev’s chest as he continuously pounded on his chest. Lev was—more than shocked. He simply froze and let Yaku throw punches at him, not really knowing what to do to calm him down.

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME??!” Yaku hollered. Even talking sound forced as he spat the words out.

“Yaku san? What do you mean—”

“WHY ARE YOU DRIVING ME INSANE???!!”

_No. Stop it. Don’t make it any more worse than it already is._

But Yaku could hardly stop as he yelled in frustration.

“Was it something that I did? Do you want me to move out or—”

“NO!” Yaku grabbed on Lev’s shirt frantically, who looked like he was going to stand up and walk away. “Please...don’t ever leave me....”

“Yaku san......”

“You dumb, dumb, stupid SKYSCRAPER! YOU BEING TOTALLY CLUELESS PISSES ME OFF! YOU BEHEMOTH! STUPID LEV! STUPID STUPID STUPID!” He gave Lev a hard shove before getting up to escape to the bed and hide under the covers.

_Crap. Why did I do that?_

He shouldn't have done that. Yet his pride got the best of him. He regretted every step he took as he headed for the bed, knocking over the cardboard bag which had been leaning on his bedside table. A rose fell out along with the plate, which rolled and made its way to Lev.

_Crap. No. NO._

“What’s this?” Lev asked as he knelt down to pick up the plate. 

“DON’T LOOK AT IT!” Yaku yelled frantically as he tried to grab the plate from Lev’s hand but the height difference was....too big.

“......................” The plate fell from Lev’s hands and right into Yaku’s hand, who caught it just in time.

_Crap. I really messed up, didn’t I?_

“.....Do you mean it?”

“?” Yaku set the plate on the bedside table before turning his gaze back on Lev.

“You.....love me?”

“NO STUPID LEV I DON’T LOVE YOU!” Yaku screeched as his cheeks burned a shade of red.

Silence. Lev stared at him silently, as if waiting for another answer.

“YEAH I DOn’t love you......” Yaku’s voice got softer as he fiddled with his fingers and shuffled.

............... and was once again greeted by Lev’s silence stare.

“......okay.....maybe I do.........” Yaku whispered.

“.....what was that?” Lev knelt down so that he could look at Yaku’s face, who had been trying to hide his flushed cheeks.

“FINE I LOVE YOU! HAPPY? STUPID LEV! STUPID STUPID STUPID—”

Lev pulled him in for a tight embrace, silencing Yaku immediately. He nuzzled Yaku's neck, and when he finally let Yaku go, who finally got a glimpse of Lev’s face, Lev was grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat. 

“Of course I’m happy! I’m beyond elated—I’m ecstatic! I’m on top of the world, over the moon and on cloud nine!”

“Wha—”

Lev hugged Yaku again but more aggressively this time. He showered him with hungry kisses, as if he’s been holding back all this time and had just unleashed a wild beast. The sensation of his lips made marks on Yaku’s body as he shuddered with delight. Lev picked him off the ground and spinned him around for a revolution or two before pulling him in close for another tight embrace.

“Dum-dummy, what was that?!”

“My love and affection.” Lev winked, shooting Cupid’s arrows right through Yaku’s heart. He went and switched off the lights before letting Yaku down gently on the bed and inviting himself to get into bed with him.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Yaku started to struggle as Lev got into his bed.

“What does it look like? Am I not allowed to hug the one I love while I sleep?”

“S-stupid Lev...” Yaku blushed. 

“Yaku san....” Lev whispered as he stroked Yaku’s hair gently. 

“Wouldn’t my bed be too small though? Maybe—” Yaku sat up, and Lev followed suit.

_Chuu~_

Lev silenced him with a kiss. It was gentle, as if afraid to hurt him, yet eager and passionate as he supported Yaku with his hand at the back of his head. Lev pressed in slightly as Yaku clung onto his shirt. Yaku felt dizzy and light headed, tears forming in his eyes. He was so, _so_ happy he couldn’t stop the tears that brimmed with joy. Lev wiped his tears away, still not letting go of Yaku’s lips as he delved inside Yaku’s mouth. 

His lips tasted like cherry blossoms—sakura-flavored, and he had the scent of the crisp autumn air. Yaku nibbled gently on Lev’s lips, much to his surprise. They pulled apart, taking shallow breaths. Yaku’s heart thumped loudly. This all seemed surreal to him—the man he loves sitting and staring at him with affection as their hands found their way to each other and intertwined. This time, Yaku pulled Lev in for another kiss.

It was a timid, innocent and gentle kiss. Lev’s eyes widened as the world fell away. Yaku ran his fingers through Lev’s tousled hair. They had nothing but the reflection of themselves in their lover's eyes in their vision. A soft, melodious tune played in Lev’s head as he let go of Yaku’s hand hesitantly to wrap his arms around him. The open window let a gush of wind waltz in, sending a shower of cherry blossom petals fluttering around them, completing the picture. Lev nuzzled his neck before letting him down gently on the bed. Pulling him in close, Yaku let Lev stroke his hair lovingly before losing himself in his cologne and lulling warmth, as he drifted off blissfully.

...

The day dawned crisp and clear. The vivid sunlight crept in, as the breeze kissed Yaku softly on the cheek. His eyes fluttered open, as his vision clears up. Lying in a bed of sakura, Lev’s hand was still on top of Yaku’s head and sensing Yaku’s slight movements, he stroked his hair with clumsy and hesitant movements, clearly still asleep. Pfft. Yaku let a chuckle slip out, waking Lev up.

Lev blinked a few times sluggishly before flashing the most adorable smile Yaku had ever seen in his whole life. Yaku blushed again, and hurriedly hid his florid face in Lev’s chest. He smiled softly as he listened to Lev’s heartbeats. Lev tilted his chin up and leaned in for a soft, velvet morning kiss that left Yaku drowning in heavenly bliss once again.

"I wish I could wake up to this every morning..." Yaku sighed, looking at Lev with his hazel chestnut eyes.

"I wish Yaku san was always this gentle and adorable... You're scary when you're angry—” Lev flashed a cheeky smile while teasing him, only to receive a light bonk on the head.

"Shut up, skyscraper. Stop teasing me." Yaku huffed and puffed his flushed cheeks out.

"Maybe I'll stop teasing you when you stop being so adorable." Lev gave him another light peck on his forehead, making Yaku blush a way deeper shade of red. Yaku buried his face into Lev's chest again, letting the sound of his heartbeat lull him back to sleep. As he was about to drift off to the land of dreams, he felt Lev’s fingers running through his hair again, stroking it lovingly. He had always felt uncomfortable with people touching his head, but Lev's gestures were comforting, and he didn't feel a slight hint of disgust, which he would have felt had it been someone else other than Lev. He smiled softly and stole one last glance at Lev's cat-like viridescent eyes and quietly whispered ‘I love you’ in a voice _surely_ only he could have heard.

It was probably just his imagination, but he _swore_ he heard Lev whisper back in a soft, affectionate whisper, and it was nothing like his usual ballsy, energetic tone.

_I love you too, Morisuke._

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I have said on the previous chapter, this chapter brings an official end to 'When Opposites Collide' !!!  
> However, there will be a bonus chapter (Thank you TofuRamen for giving me this amazing suggestion) for Lev's perspective at Yaku's attempts! (maybe even the final confession :3)  
> Also, this did better than I thought ( I've received so much support from you all I can't even iwi ) so I might do a continuation if another plot/ storyline/ idea barges into my mind (probably at 4 in the morning :D) that can link to this story! (Likewise I had a lot of fun writing this levyaku fanfic and I really got into it (me crying at 1am because Yaku cried in the story) so :3)  
> Once again, thank you for staying with me until the end!!!! This means so much to me y'all are such wholesome and amazing human beings <3 (grovels)


	9. Other side of the story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lev's POV on certain incidents!!!  
> (Oh my weak heart ;-;)

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_“Yaku san! I got another S_ (the highest grade apparently according to Google) _in my essay again!” Lev rushed home to tell Yaku the good news._

_“Really?! That’s great!” Yaku beamed at him as he went to greet Lev who was slightly out of breath, seemingly to have just ran all the way home. Lev sat down and Yaku ruffled his hair with a soft and gentle smile._

_I want Yaku san to always ruffle my hair like this...._

“Oh snap! Focus, Lev!” Lev yelled as he gave himself a few pats on the cheek. He couldn’t erase the memory of Yaku’s precious smile—and he wanted to see more of it. He wanted to capture all of Yaku’s emotions; happy, sad, angry, worried, nervous, jealous....and so on. So far he had only seen ‘happy’ and ‘angry’, and perhaps ‘worried’ if you count the numerous times he’d hit his head and Yaku would rush over with the word ‘worried’ written over his face.

“If I work really hard and get a S on this essay too, will Yaku san ruffle my hair again while flashing me such an adorable smile? Teehee~” Lev giggled to himself before slapping himself on the cheeks again to concentrate.

...

“Yaku san!” Lev heard the door open with a click and looked up excitedly. Yaku seemed a bit different today—a little bit more uneasy than usual. Was something the matter? But Lev didn’t want Yaku to recall it if it was something that was upsetting him, so he kept his mouth shut. He watched as Yaku draped his coat over a chair and headed towards the kitchen. Lev shrugged. Yaku did all the cooking, so it all seemed normal to him, but Yaku’s edgy look bothered him as he lost himself in his essay once again.

A whiff of the sweet aroma of cookies greeted him as he looked up again to realize it was pitch dark outside. Yaku came out holding a plate of cookies and told Lev it was for him. Lev desperately wanted to put down his pen and reach for the goodies Yaku baked for him, but he thought better of it.

_If I take my time to eat these cookies, it’s going to slow down my progress. That’s not good. It’s already getting late, and if I finish it at a later hour than it is now, I’ll definitely mess up. I can’t think properly when I’m sleepy. I’m sorry, Yaku san, but I only wanted to see you smile....I’m going to have to restrict myself this time._

But as soon as Lev asked Yaku to set the cookies aside, Yaku turned away in a huff. Panicked, Lev rushed over to hug him. When Yaku clarified he wasn’t angry, Lev smiled in relief.

_Please don’t be angry, Yaku san, I only wanted to see you smile...._

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_Bang!_

Lev rushed into the room. He heard the loud thud coming from Yaku’s room and his mind was racing with thoughts of Yaku being injured. He shook his head. 

_Please be okay._

Lev panted, slightly out of breath. Yaku’s face twisted in a weird way with a ‘I’m-obviously-hurt-and-in-pain-but-I’m-trying-to-hide-it’ look on his face. Lev sighed. Why was Yaku trying to act strong? It’s okay to be in pain, right? There’s no need to hide it. 

“Can you help me get the book on top of the bookshelf? I can’t reach it.” Yaku gave him a weak smile. Lev looked at the book sitting at such a height Yaku would have never been able to reach as he thought to himself.

_Silly Yaku san. Why would you put it in such a place? Sigh. I’ll never understand him....hmm? What’s that red thing over there? A rose? Ohhh...was Yaku san trying to hide the rose? Well then, I’ll just pretend I didn’t see it. He’ll probably be embarrassed if I pointed it out._

Lev handed the book to Yaku and left for his lecture, unaware of the great pain he had burdened Yaku with.

\----------------------------------------------

Lev tried to ignore the burning stare he was getting from Yaku, but Yaku stared at him so intensely it was _literally_ impossible to ignore. 

_Geez, Yaku san. Stop staring at me...I can’t stare at you if you keep staring at me, you’ll notice my gaze qwq!!!_

Lev tried not to look at Yaku when suddenly he saw, with the corner of his eyes, Yaku unconsciously biting his spoon.

_AWHH SNAP! YAKU SAN THAT WAS ADORABLE!!!!! Your face should be illegal for being so beautiful.........._

**_Badump._ **

**** Lev could hardly contain his smile and blush. “Wait, Yaku san, don’t move...” 

_Wait, what am I saying?_

The words were coming from Lev’s mouth, yet it sounded so unfamiliar and far away. _Stop. No. Don’t do it. Yaku san will get angry._ Lev screamed in his heart but as if he was controlled and being tugged with strings, he watched as his fingers grazed Yaku’s bottom lip and licked it unconsciously.

_Since when did salt have a sweet taste to it?_

“BAKA BAKA STUPID LEV!” Yaku’s screams made Lev snap out of it as he realized what he had just done. 

“I-I’m so sorry, Yaku san!! I wasn’t thinking!!”

_He’s blushing!!!!!! So adorable, Yaku san......totally worth it. Maybe you won’t feel the same way about me, but......Yaku san, I love you with all my heart._

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(Small writer note here: You won’t believe I was actually crying while writing this out at 2am or something because my heart broke into pieces ;-;)

Lev sighed as he trudged and dragged his feet across the floor. The lecture was _booooring_ , and Yaku was a much better teacher than that no-good professor who only made snide comments about Lev’s height and long limbs. 

But a satisfying whiff of oinarisan swallowed him, devouring his fatigue, as his eyes found their way to the plate Yaku was holding. Yaku looked slightly distraught and as he set the plate on the table, Lev could see that his hands were shaking. 

“Yaku san!!!! What’s that in your hands?” Lev eyed the plate hungrily, trying to ignore the little voice in his mind questioning if Yaku was about to poison him. It was just a plate of oinarisan, why did Yaku look like he was feeding him something that’d kill him? 

“Dig in.” Yaku said wearily. _Is it really poisoned? It smells normal to me though......_ Lev got lost in thought as Yaku sighed. “It’s not poisoned. I swear.” Yaku said bluntly. Lev gulped. Was it that obvious? Or did Yaku have telepathy? Nonetheless, he soon noticed the small cards each with a heart on it.

_Awwwww, Yaku san, that’s so so so adorable!!! This probably means nothing though....I’m pretty sure Kuroo san gave the whole team Christmas cards with hearts on it. It’s probably just a nice gesture.....I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. Why would Yaku san like me—why would anyone in their right mind like me? But....it wouldn’t hurt if I acted like this was a sweet gesture from Yaku san right? It wouldn’t hurt to think, to imagine, to fantasize....right?_

Lev smiled bitterly as he set the cards aside, not even bothering to flip it over, and dug in. Yaku watched him eat for a bit before heading towards his room. As soon as Yaku was out of sight, Lev’s tears demanded to fall furiously. After he finished the plate of oinarisan, he went back to his room, cuddling his pillow as he cried softly in the moonlight. 

How he yearned for Yaku to return his feelings—but no, he could never tell him. Being housemates were more than he could have asked for, and he wasn’t prepared to face the aftermath of being greedy. What if—what if Yaku looked at him with disgust if he told him that he had feelings for him? Or would Yaku reject him by brushing it off as if it was a joke? He didn’t know, he was so confused and lost as his tears flowed and dampened his pillow.

On the exact same night, one hid in the shadows and away from the moonlight, his cowardice and insecurities swallowing him up; while the other drowned in the moonlight and ran away from the shadows, his doubts and confusion devouring him bit by bit. They had been leaning on a wall which blocked their paths—yet they couldn’t see that the wall was crumbling—it wasn’t the wall they were leaning on anymore as they cried their hearts out. They were leaning on each other, and had they turned around with a little bit more courage, they would have seen each other, and noticed the wall between them had already dissolved into nothingness.

\----------------------------------------------

“Yaku san!!! Open the door please!!!” Lev felt the tears springing out his eyes. When he went to brush his teeth just now, he noticed Yaku’s toothbrush was wet. But Yaku hadn’t eaten anything at all today—nothing! Lev banged on the door continuously. 

_Please......you’ll starve.........you’ll be whining at night because you said you couldn’t sleep on an empty stomach.......you’ll wake up grumpy.....please......I don’t want to see your frown, Yaku san. I want to see you smile! Yaku san—_

_I love you._

Lev couldn’t hide it anymore as he clamped his hand over his mouth in anguish. He loves Yaku. He loves him! He can’t live without him, and tears streamed down his face.

“I’m fine. I’ll come out to eat after I finish writing my report.”

_Liar._

Yaku would definitely kill him for this, but he had no choice. Lev wiped his tears and took a deep breath as he readied his position. With a swift kick, the door flung open with a loud bang, revealing an astonished Yaku, whose eyes were red from crying and tears were still streaming down his face.

_No. No! Yaku san, don’t cry! Please! I can’t....my heart hurts so much!_

Lev tried to steady his shaky voice as he approached Yaku. His arms reached out for a hug, but the room was soon filled with an ear-shattering scream.

“AGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH—” Yaku started writhing in pain, his face twisting in agony as he clawed the air and pounded on Lev’s chest. It didn’t hurt physically—it hurt mentally. Every pound was like a rejection—Yaku hates him. He hates him, right? Lev’s heart sank. _It was a mistake to fall in love with him....._

“.....Do you want me to move out or—”

“NO!”

_What?_

Why? Yaku looked like he was in so much pain while being around Lev, why would he still want him around? Yaku was screeching at him, but he couldn’t hear anything. His heart throbbed with pain. He only wanted Yaku to be happy—

_Clang!_

A plate rolled over to Lev’s feet. It couldn’t be anymore familiar to Lev—Yaku had used this plate to bring him cookies. He picked it up. ‘I love you’ came in view.

_...what? WHAT?_

Lev dropped the plate in surprise. Yaku loves him too? Oh snap—

A sudden realization dawned over Lev.

How wrong had he been.

Now everything made sense; the cookies, the roses and the cards on the oinarisan. They weren’t nice gestures or meant to be hidden away from Lev— _they were for Lev._ Yaku was trying to confess the whole time! How badly he wanted to slap himself for his stupidity. He felt pathetic. He had put Yaku in so much pain— _what has he done?_ He watched as Yaku struggled to say the words ‘I love you’. Lev stared at him. This felt surreal. No, maybe this is a dream after all—ow. He pinched himself and dug his nails in his hand, but it hurt. This wasn’t a dream. 

“FINE I LOVE YOU! HAPPY? STUPID LEV! STUPID STUPID STUPID—”

_Shut up. You’re the stupid one for loving me back ;-; ......_

That was all Lev needed to hear before wrapping his arms around him. He finally didn’t need to hold back—his face, his neck, his lips, his eyes, his warmth—his everything, it belonged to Lev. It took him all his might to not burst into happiness. He kissed him over and over again and picked him off the ground, twirling him around and hugged him again. He never wanted to let him go.

_Yaku san. Yaku san. Yaku san...._

In his mind, he repeatedly called out the name of the man he loved so so much.

_I love you. I love you so much. Please, don’t ever leave me. I would die without you. My oxygen, my heart, my world, my universe, my_ —

_Morisuke._

_I’ll love you and only you for eternity, and if time brought us apart....._

_I’d find you. No matter where you are, I’ll go to you._

_I love you, Morisuke._

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING TILL THE END,,,,,,I HOPE Y'ALL LIKED IT UWU (There's also a continuation "Opposites from Afar" and a side story "Mine", your support is gladly appreciated!)  
> (So concerning my bokuaka series I've decided to update on Bokuto's birthday (Sep 20) (it's a long wait but I'll have a lot of content ready I promise ;-;) But I'll also be working on a tsukkiyama fanfic because an idea just suddenly popped up in my mind and I really wanna write it out >w< )  
> Lots of hearts and hugs to my friend here TofuRamen who have always supported me throughout my writing and not only giving me the nudge I needed to realize the fun in writing fanfics, but also giving me some ideas as inspiration for the plot when I was stuck qwqqq (I'm the type that either has a tons of idea pouring out my mind or extremely stuck and needed some keywords for a small lightbulb in my head to go 'ding!') (creds on the part how Kuroo confessed to Kenma with TofuRamen pointing out Kenma's favourite food was apple pie and giving me the idea that the confession was at a pie shop)(and BAAM! Ideas started pouring out, thus saving me at 2am in the morning qwqqq (I really needed sleep ;-; although I ended up sleeping at 4 because I wanted to finish writing the plot) (You helped me a lot I am forever grateful ;u;)  
> (man this end note is really long I'M SO SORRY) And again, it would be my utmost honor if this was to your liking and caught your interest. Thank you so so very much!!!! Your support is greatly appreciated!!! UwU


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